Marsha-SM I agree with you, all the younger generation deserve to be treated equal. They shouldn't be snubbed because of their father's behavior. His sisters shoulldn't judge you because you are being a loving great-aunt to these kids. You do what your heart tells you is right, the rest of the family not withstanding.

All his sisters feel as I do. It is their brother and his wife that they have issues with. Caring for the children is what this family is about - why we have been so close since I have been part of this large family. Rich doesn't feel quite the same, but he is coming around to the fact that they didn't choose their situation. At least they are loved by their parents, but since they are getting older, I am sure what they hear from others will hurt them. So far they have been home-schooled so have been isolated somewhat and haven't been in the local school system where they would hear things.

I started cutting 8" squares of the florals today - about 5 hours worth - for a quilt for her and 2 others to have in kit form for future needs for quilts. I'm exhausted now from 3 straight hours cutting on my lap board. Probably will finish cutting tomorrow morning. I got the black sashing cut out last night so will soon be ready to put blocks together. That goes really fast because this quilt doesn't have mitered corners like the wildlife quilt. I put on bottom and left sashing on each block then assemble and add the top and right strips to finish the sashing. I will probably get the borders cut tomorrow also, so this may be a 3-day top, if all goes well and I hold together.

Slowly, I'll work on them, one at a time, until I get them finished, starting with the quilt I started 19 years ago for my elder son's wedding. Maybe I can finish it before their 20th anniversary gets here next year!

You have one of those too? I made a quilt top for our oldest daughter's 5th anniversary (it took me that long to applique the top with butterflies) and they are now heading to their 29th anniversary! They now have 5 grandchildren! Someday, hopefully soon, I will finish it. The butterflies are hand quilted and I have started hand-quilting flowers in the alternate white squares with slate thread. It has been many years since I have worked on it - - - I had better get working on it soon or it will be for their 50th anniversary (and I probably won't be around to present it as I would be 93 by then). Maybe she will have to finish it, but the flowers wouldn't be hand quilted. She is a free-motion quilter and art quilter, but usually on much smaller quilts - mostly wall hangings.

Thank you so much for the comments on my quilts. I don't have the stamina, but quilting relaxes me and keeps me sane!!! Taken in small chunks during the day I can manage. I do most preparation and cutting on a lap board with my feet elevated to relieve foot, knee and back pain. I have everything at my fingertips, including a small travel iron and the padded back of my lap board.

lay some of your blocks on top of the brown fabric , to see what happens.

Beth, my first thought when I saw your blocks was black sashing. I agree with Thea that the red might just go also. I would lay some blocks out on any fabric you choose and see which one brings out the colors in the blocks and which ones take away from the blocks by "muddying things up". The neutral blends with the blocks and doesn't contrast with your fabrics. Black, since it is not in your quilt blocks, will make everything really stand out. You can use different blacks if you have strips of them left over from other projects. I use black a lot as it did in my floral quilt squares and as defining borders in the wildlife quilt.

I was going to reply last night, but was too tired to think or type. I spent quite a while looking at your blocks and thinking I have so many strips in my scrap bags, boxes and drawers that I should make one to use some of them up. I never really liked strip quilts, but lately they are growing on me. I have many narrow strips left from the floral fabrics and many other scraps, that I need to use them up this way. My smaller scraps go into hand-pieced crazy-quilt-style fabric pieces that I plan to join to make a quilt top. I made one with larger pieces about 40 or more years ago with no batting and backed with 18" flannel squares rescued from worn out nightgowns and pajamas. It went everywhere with us as it was large enough for a queen bed and was very handy for traveling in the car with 5 kids. We still use it as a bed topper/blanket in the summer, but it shows the hard use it has had. Need a new one to replace it. Some of the used fabrics didn't hold up as well as others but is easy to repair with another scrap or 2 appliqued on over the worn spots. No-one even sees the repairs.

Marsha - I have been looking back over your quilts - I absolutely love the deer quilt and might make a similar to that for my son - he wants me to make him a wild life qulit - although he says he wants One with Bears, One with Elk, One with Deer...etc... I was thinking of putting them all into one... have been gathering wild life fabrics for a couple years till I found - or designed something to do with them.

Thea, He doesn't want many quilts, does he! I also had been collecting wildlife fabrics for many years. I really added to the collection when I found the Backyard Bandits fabrics. Many of them are quite funny when you really look at them. Many of the animals are waving!! Possum, skunk, etc. When I found the deer panel at Walmart last year the quilt was born. I made one for one grandson last year and also made one for grand nephew since they were going to room together in college. They have had so many comments on them - - I probably could sell quite a few of them. This one is for brother of last year's graduate. The sills of the windows are animal tracks on tan and I used a different fabric for the sashing than last year's quilts. All 3 have different blacks and borders, also different backings.

This would be a good idea for your son. This panel is no longer available but might be found through Etsy or some other site where older fabrics are sold. That is where I got the Backyard Bandits.

Good luck with your back procedure tomorrow and hope they can get you new glasses to help your sight. Our eyes are so important to us especially for what we do to push our pain into the background. To me, quilting is relaxing and calming. Hope your pain is eased with the procedure.

Thank you so much for your comments on my quilts. Now to the FMQ - - - but first comes the sandwiching and basting!!! That isn't quite so much fun and a lot harder on a worn-out body.

Now I REALLY need to get to bed. Rich has been asleep for over an hour. Hope I don't wake him up when I climb in. He needs to get up early tomorrow and I still don't have to ride with him every day. The neighbor who usually is logging by now is still waiting for parts for his log skidder, so his helping him out and giving me time to quilt!!! (and keep from being beaten up by the rough-riding truck and potholes)

I won't be able to get back to quilting as soon as I wanted this morning. Rich "lost" his cell phone this morning and finally found it after backing up his truck. He must have dropped it when he got in the truck this morning and promptly ran over it!!! I am off to the nearest Verizon store to get a new one. This one is just a few months old but we didn't buy the insurance! Never have needed it in all the years we have had phones, so I guess we have saved enough over the years to pay for a replacement. He is using my phone today but none of the farmers use that number because it is listed as mine on our business cards. At least he can call me when I get the new phone.

Hopefully I can start sandwiching quilts when I get home. The closest Verizon store is 30 miles away.

I need some input from anyone who wants to weigh in on a "string quilt" (sometimes called a strip quilt) that I'm working on right now. I don't like the way it's looking. I'm not sure why, I just don't like it. Too busy maybe? Here it is so far, up on my design wall.

Beth here's a photo of a string quilt (not mine) I saved because I loved this layout

Marsha--Thanks for the quilt show. I hear you loud and clear on quilting being important for the sanity. So many beautiful quilts!

Jacy--I love the string quilt you posted. I used to use black as sashing, if in doubt. I was tired of black and did one with an aqua/ turquoise sashing when I did my floral block quilts and really love the pop the aqua gives it.

sp Donna - how do you like Paper piecing now? or are you doing foundational piecing. It looks very good... I am not a green person but like this - it will turn out wonderful for a green person...teehee.... I do not like paper piecing or foundational piecing but I do both to make quilts that way... I hate picking the paper off - I use a very thin vellum paper when I do do it - a friend who made gorgeous wedding gowns and did a lot of embroidery turned me on to the vellum paper - I can't tell you the brand anymore as I gave away the little piece on the end of the package - one of these days I need to go to the paper store down in OKC and buy some more... I like it as I got a ream with over 500 sheets that was 1/4 the size of 100 of the papers that they sell for paper piecing...

Thanks for all the nice comments on my quilt! Always nice to hear that something you make is appreciated. Today I'm searching through my patterns for my next project, and doing laundry. Spent so much time finishing the quilt that my hamper was full. Unfortunately housework always needs to be done.

My Sunshine doesn't come from the skies, It comes from the love in my dog's eyes.

Beth, how fast did this come together? Maybe you just haven't had to spend the time it takes to really fall in love with your project. I like it a lot. I've been looking at my current project for months now. Each machine is giving me trouble, so I'm just getting tired of looking at it. It is pretty though. I'd like to get it done so I can move on.